1. Field
This disclosure relates to a user interface for reordering thumbnails.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multifunction peripheral (MFP) is a type of document processing device which is an integrated device providing at least two document processing functions, such as print, copy, scan and fax. In a document processing function, an input document (electronic or physical) is used to automatically produce a new output document (electronic or physical).
Documents may be physically or logically divided into pages. A physical document is paper or other physical media bearing information which is readable unaided by the typical human eye. An electronic document is any electronic media content (other than a computer program or a system file) that is intended to be used in either an electronic form or as printed output. Electronic documents may consist of a single data file, or an associated collection of data files which together are a unitary whole. Electronic documents will be referred to further herein as a document, unless the context requires some discussion of physical documents which will be referred to by that name specifically.
In printing, the MFP automatically produces a physical document from an electronic document. In copying, the MFP automatically produces a physical document from a physical document. In scanning, the MFP automatically produces an electronic document from a physical document. In faxing, the MFP automatically transmits via fax an electronic document from an input physical document which the MFP has also scanned or from an input electronic document which the MFP has converted to a fax format.
MFPs are often incorporated into corporate or other organization's networks which also include various other workstations, servers and peripherals. An MFP may also provide remote document processing services to external or network devices.
User interfaces are used in every user to computer interaction. One type of user interaction is used to reorder thumbnails. On computers, the process of reordering thumbnails typically involves utilizing a mouse to highlight or select a thumbnail image or page by clicking, then maintaining the downclick and moving the mouse to the location desired for the thumbnail. On capacitive touchscreen devices, such as the Apple® iPhone® and many other mobile devices, the process may be very similar. The user may touch a screen over a thumbnail to be moved, then move the thumbnail to the desired location. Selection of a thumbnail in both situations may be shown, for example, by altering the coloration of the thumbnail and showing movement when the mouse or touch is moved.
A similar interaction is more difficult in non-capacitive touchscreen and non-mouse-based user interfaces. These interfaces typical show selection of a thumbnail by highlighting the thumbnail in a color. In some cases, numerals are assigned to the thumbnails, the numerals indicating the pre-movement order of the thumbnails. It is difficult to determine where in the series of thumbnails a particular thumbnail was originally located or where in the series of thumbnails a selected thumbnail is currently located. After a user has moved a thumbnail, it is also difficult to determine where the movement began or to reset the thumbnails to a default state.
Throughout this description, elements appearing in figures are assigned three-digit reference designators, where the most significant digit is the figure number and the two least significant digits are specific to the element.